The 10 chapters in this book provide an overview of 5 years of work by member schools and colleges in the Urban Schools Network, which provides technical assistance to schools in 31 urban areas. "Overview of the Urban Schools Network" (Lola Jackson) is a history, defining purposes, participants, and priorities. "Integrating Academic…

Chapter 188 of the Massachusetts Acts of 1985 established a statewide testing program that began in 1986. The Massachusetts Testing Program functions to improve curriculum and instruction in the public schools and districts, identify students needing assistance in mastering basic skills in the classroom, and make results available to the public.…

This monograph documents major events in the Cincinnati (Ohio) School District (CSD) in 1990-91 concerning the Bronson Settlement, which was the result of a racial segregation suit against the CSD (Mona Bronson, et al. v. Board of Education of the City of Cincinnati). The Bronson Settlement ordered changes in nine areas of the CSD. This report…

This report examines the philosophy, policies, programs, methodologies, services, and organizational structures that relate to the education of students between 4 and 9 years of age. Sections of the report address: (1) the relation between development and learning; (2) school readiness; (3) early learning programs; and (4) partnerships among…

The papers in this monograph reflect doctoral candidates' efforts to understand and influence teacher education and the changes through which it is going. Following an introduction, papers are presented as follows: (1) "Reflective Inquiry in Teacher Education" (Lynn Zeltzer); (2) "Creating a Reflective Practitioner in the Social…

This paper examines the success of the Boston (Massachusetts) Compact's business and public education agreements over the years 1985 through 1987. The Compact began in 1982 as a citywide public school improvement program. Business, university, and trade union leaders agreed to establish and meet measurable admission and hiring goals to increase…

The purpose of this practicum was to increase homework productivity and reinforce basic skills in a third-grade class. Other objectives were to relieve the burden of parents who were unable to help their children with homework and to improve communication between parent, teacher, and child. Homework assignments were made daily by the teacher.…

This study was conducted at Mississippi State University (MSU) Meridian, to evaluate the student teaching experience and to determine adjustments required to improve the teacher education program. Participants consisted of 81 elementary, secondary, and special education students from two MSU campuses. Instruments utilized in the study included a…

This paper explores issues surrounding parental choice of schools. The administration of President George Bush has presented parental choice as a cornerstone of its proposed "America 2000 Excellence in Education Act." Educational advocates are concerned that emphasis on choice as a key moving force for school reform falls short of the…

This paper examines how the concepts of strategic planning, assessment, and Total Quality Management fit together and relate to one another in the field of higher education. Central to the explanation of how these topics are related is the Japanese philosophy of Kaizen, a driving force behind the quality improvement movement in that country. The…

Improving the teaching and learning of mathematics, science, and computer usage has been the focus of both education scholars and government policymakers over the last decade. The state of Florida responded by developing a statewide plan to coordinate reform efforts published as "A Comprehensive Plan: Improving Mathematics, Science, and…

A study was done of the state level perspective on Chapter 1 program implementation under the 1988 amendments to the Elementary and Secondary School Improvement Act. In 1991-92, the study surveyed 50 out of 53 Chapter 1 coordinators in state education agencies (SEAs) whose offices are responsible for communicating the law's provisions to school…

A study examined the feedback associated with "author's chair" to determine the opportunities provided for students to learn about literacy. Subjects, six boys and three girls between the ages of 8 and 10 in a self-contained classroom for students identified as learning disabled, were exposed to a process-oriented approach to writing instruction…

It is proposed that schools receiving funds under Chapter 1 (Hawkins Stafford Act 1988) be required to spend at least 20 percent of their allocations on staff development. High-quality staff development programs would enable schools to improve instruction all day for all students. Chapter 1 schools would become centers of educational renewal and…

Genesee Community College (GCC), in New York, received a National Endowment for the Humanities grant to conduct a faculty seminar focusing on the role and historical context of the computer as a medium for writing. Twenty GCC faculty from the humanities, as well as from career/technical programs, participated in the seminar in the summer of 1992.…